Tweet
A RADIO operator has accessed the frequency of the radio communications from the Western Bulldogs coach's box to the interchange bench, listened in during matches and offered the taped audio for sale.
The Bulldogs were alerted to the hacking when a media outlet, which had been offered the audio, told the club. The Age is unaware of any club having bought or having been offered the audio.
''Someone contacted a media outlet and told them he had tapped into our signal,'' Bulldogs football manager James Fantasia said. ''They didn't buy it and they told us. It's certainly a concern to us and we have spoken with the AFL about it to see what the laws and regulations around that are.
''It is a very difficult issue because you can't stop people from tuning into frequencies but you can create issues if they are selling that information on to others.
''I'm not aware of any other clubs buying the information, that would certainly be contravening the AFL's rules. But it is still a concern.
''One of the problems is anyone can go to Tandy Electronics and buy a signal scrambler and search for the frequencies - that's been around a long time - but the concern to us is that someone has done that and now they are trying to use that information and sell it on.
''I would like to think clubs are not going to that length to find out that information and as far as we know they have not. We certainly have not. It is something we need to monitor and the AFL needs to monitor and be vigilant about.''
Typically the line from the coach's box to the bench is a secure hard line and not a radio communication but most clubs operate a second radio communication system to the bench.
Most clubs use a secure digital system that is encrypted and cannot be tapped using a scrambler.
The Bulldogs' cheaper analog system is vulnerable to being tapped.
AFL football operations boss Adrian Anderson did not wish to comment last night.
Time to get digital.
The Bulldogs were alerted to the hacking when a media outlet, which had been offered the audio, told the club. The Age is unaware of any club having bought or having been offered the audio.
''Someone contacted a media outlet and told them he had tapped into our signal,'' Bulldogs football manager James Fantasia said. ''They didn't buy it and they told us. It's certainly a concern to us and we have spoken with the AFL about it to see what the laws and regulations around that are.
''It is a very difficult issue because you can't stop people from tuning into frequencies but you can create issues if they are selling that information on to others.
''I'm not aware of any other clubs buying the information, that would certainly be contravening the AFL's rules. But it is still a concern.
''One of the problems is anyone can go to Tandy Electronics and buy a signal scrambler and search for the frequencies - that's been around a long time - but the concern to us is that someone has done that and now they are trying to use that information and sell it on.
''I would like to think clubs are not going to that length to find out that information and as far as we know they have not. We certainly have not. It is something we need to monitor and the AFL needs to monitor and be vigilant about.''
Typically the line from the coach's box to the bench is a secure hard line and not a radio communication but most clubs operate a second radio communication system to the bench.
Most clubs use a secure digital system that is encrypted and cannot be tapped using a scrambler.
The Bulldogs' cheaper analog system is vulnerable to being tapped.
AFL football operations boss Adrian Anderson did not wish to comment last night.
Time to get digital.
Comment